ABRAHAM LINCOLN /TAFT 1908 Republican Convention ABNco Unique! (ultra rare) ABNco printing plate, Eagle motif Start Price USD 7,975.00 Current Price USD 7,975.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, November 12, 2008 End Time Friday, December 12, 2008 Location AZ See more about 'ABRAHAM LINCOLN /TAFT 1908 Republican Convention ABNco ' Description   THIS 2008 ELECTION YEAR IS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS UNIQUE PIECE OF TRUE AMERICANA ART   Description:  Republican National Convention, 1908.     Steel. 7.5 x 5 inches. A lovely vignetted piece, perhaps for the cover of the program. Bold vignettes of Lincoln and the United States Capitol Building. The convention was held in Chicago on June 16th, and nominated William Howard Taft to the ticket as a successor to Theodore Roosevelt, and the opponent of William Jennings Bryan. The original paper wrapper is included, with a proof impression affixed, both chipped at the edges and corners. Engraved identification number: V-38299 (7160 crossed out). The above, is the official description from Stack's Dr. Tory Prestera Collection, session two, Lot # 1087, June  21, 2007                                                               (You will receive exactly the same, and in the same exact condition.)   The 1908 Republican Covention was held at the Historic Chicago Colliseum, Chicago Ill.  William (Bill) H. Taft was overwhelmingly nominated, and went on to become The President of The United States of America. This unique (only existing) Printing Plate and its only existing Proof is being offerd for only the third time in its 100 year History.   This piece is far and above the Most Choice and Picturesque of the very limited different Lincoln vignetts auctioned by Stack's from the American Bank Note Archives.  There is only one of these in existence and this is it, being offerd here .  As the Collector and Fine Art base is fully established in the ABNco printing plates, their  will be even fewer comming to market and when they do, prices are expected to have richly appreciated. There may come a day when they rival the outstanding sums of money needed to acquire an 1804 Dollar, 1913 Liberty Nickel or a Brasher Doubloon.  This 1908 ABNco Printing Plate is actually more rare than all three of those historically great coins. Now this may seem unlikely to some, but who would have imagined an 1804 Dollar going for over $4 million dollars in 1999 or a Van Gogh selling for $80 million plus in 1990, when at one time Vincent was hard pressed to give them away for a few dollars.  In future years Stack's  will undoubtedly orchastrate a reassembling from around the world, a catalouge of these unique pieces of Americana Art, and hold an auction, whose prices realized will be outstandingly higher in comparison to what is being received today. History and Relevancy bears this out.                                                                 The following are excerpts from the 2007 Stack's catalog: Welcome to our latest presentation of dies and printing plates from the American Bank Note company archives. The printing plates are one of a kind, as are the vignette dies. We have every reason to believe that a generation hence the numismatic community will reflect upon these sales as the "Glory Times," laden with oppotunities that will in retrospect seem amazing and remarkable, not that they are any less than that today. No archive like this will ever be offerd again, as no holding like this was ever formed. Vignette dies: Rectangular plates of hardend steel in which scenes, lettering, and designs are engraved. The lettering and details on these are in mirror image, so that when impressions were taken from them they would appear in the proper orientation. Relatively few printing plates have ever reached the collectors market, but when such occasions have occured, there has been a lot of interest. Now and again old plates have been used to issue reprints, profitably, as in the case of R.M. Smythe and Company which produced 25 impressions from a four subject bank note plate of the Bank of Mount Pleasant Ohio, reprinted by Smythe as a presentation to valued clients in 1990. Collectors a generation from now will marvel upon the availability of plates in our series of auctions, much as in a related way one can only contemplate when the paper archives of American Bank Note Company were auctioned by Christie's in 1990 and 1991. However, unlike paper notes, each Bank Note plate is absolutely Unique! "      BESIDES THE ACTUAL PHOTO OF THE PRINTING PLATE BELOW, THERE ARE PERIOD POST CARDS SHOWING THE HISTORIC CHICAGO COLISEUM AT WHICH THE 1908 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION WAS HELD, AND OTHERS RELATING TO THE 1908 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BOTH PRIOR AND POST.   ////// Whomever is the future owner of this unique historical piece of our country's political past, may decide to keep it off the market for many years to come.  Place a Bid!